Riding the wave

July 11, 2012 - Rob Weaver

There have been times my hands have gotten tired while riding a motorcycle. Sometimes, my left hand gets weary of working the clutch when stuck in stop-and-go traffic. Other times, on long stretches of highway, I find myself longing for cruise control, or a simple throttle lock -- even just a ponytail holder -- so I could let go of the right grip for more than just a few seconds.

Wednesday, during the ride to escort the American Veterans Traveling Tribute to Tiffin, I experienced something new: I almost grew tired of waving.

While the number of riders in the escort may not have met expectations, the number of people lining the route to fly flags, wave hello and even salute was incredible. From the riders’ perspective, it was an incredibly uplifting thing to witness. The genuine enthusiasm of every man, woman and child who clapped and cheered and waved was overwhelming.

All through Findlay, Arcadia, Fostoria, Bascom and Tiffin -- and along a surprising amount of the open spaces in between -- folks young and old greeted the line of motorcycles. The riders couldn’t help but feel caught up in that groundswell of support and gladly rode that wave of goodwill all the way to the end.